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My daughter auditioned for OKCU in October and got her acceptance letter last week! She is so excited - it was her first choice! Im sure she will have tons of questions - i will keep my eye on this thread :)

Well I was wondering whats the difference in dance levels of the students that get accepted? Are they all magnificently talented in all the areas of dance, or are they good at one area and not as experienced in others?? Can you just describe to me the typical dance experience of the students majoring in dance.

I also have another question. I know you can't minor in dance at OCU but is it possible to minor in Music Theater while majoring in dance? Because I love musical theatre and have more experience in it, but I love dance more.

I know I'm asking alot of questions but just one more :)
OCU prides itself in being focused on all dance types as opposed to just focusing on ballet, but does it have anything associated with modern or contemporary. Can you just give me an overview of the feel of the classes? I plan on visiting but I'd like to be prepared

lbbennett,
You may have already figured this out, but if you go to "thread tools" in the upper right-hand corner, then select "subscribe to this thread," then select how you want emails sent (immediately, once a day, etc.) you will be able to follow the conversation that takes place in any thread. Hope that helps!

My daughter auditioned for OCU in October and there were approximately 65 girls and 15 boys auditioning. Im not sure if that is typical because from what I am told this was the first time they held an early decision audition in October :)

Wow, there have been a lot of questions asked! My absence can be explained in four words “finals and Christmas Show!” I’d like to preface this with saying that this information isn’t official, but it is accurate to the best of my knowledge as a student. The best way to get information is to visit OCU and see it for yourself, or ask a faculty member, but I am certainly doing my best! =)

Tapm0m, congratulations to your daughter on her acceptance to OCU, that’s awesome news! This year was the first year they’ve done an early decision audition. Typically the auditions conducted in the spring are bigger, I don’t know of an exact number but for my admission audition there were over 100 dancers there.

-Leveling System-
As far as the ability level of admitted students goes, it really varies. Some people come in very strong in one area with more room for growth in other areas while some students are more balanced. The faculty admits students based on a variety of factors, but one factor is the potential to excel in a variety of dance styles. The end goal is definitely to train dancers who can hold their own in jazz, tap and ballet. A major graduation requirement for the BPA in Dance Performance is reaching master levels of 5,6 and 7 in any combination of jazz, tap and ballet styles. For example, I intend to reach graduation levels of Jazz 7, Ballet 6 and Tap 5. Similar levels must also be reached in order for American Dance Pedagogy and MFA Dance majors to graduate.
The leveling system is slightly complicated so I’ll be as straightforward as possible. There are three major tiers among the ballet, jazz and tap technique classes at OCU. Basic Movement/Beyond Basic Movement are tailored toward those with less dance experience and do not count for credit towards a dance major at OCU. Next are the A and B levels. For example Jazz A includes levels 1-5 and Jazz B is the most advanced which includes levels 5-8. There is a leveling process at the beginning and end of every semester which varies for each style, but is always conducted like an audition. For up to two weeks after the initial leveling process, the faculty continues to adjust the levels to make sure everyone is in the correct class.

The main differences, that I’ve perceived between the different levels are, the rate at which combinations are taught and time spent breaking things down and explaining them, confidence level of the dancer even when presented with technical challenges, quality of movement, overall technical ability and overall performance quality.

There are four teachers for Ballet A and B, five for Jazz A, four for Jazz B, and five for Tap A and B so each individual class/level will rotate to a different teacher every two weeks or so. There are so many benefits to this system. I call it the “it takes a village to train a dancer” system. Every teacher has something unique to offer which contributes to the well-roundedness of OCU dancers. This is reflective of the highly collaborate nature of the teaching approach at OCU.

For more information about graduation requirements for dance degrees at OCU please visit Oklahoma City University’s website and download the undergraduate catalog.

-Dance minor/musical theatre minor-
9906466, you’re correct, there is no dance minor at OCU. There is no musical theatre minor either. Although you’re certainly welcome to piece together your own unofficial minor. My passion is musical theatre also, but for my college experience I knew I needed focused dance training. Outside of the voice, music fundamentals, stage lighting and stagecraft along and two semesters of acting I was required to take as a Dance Performance major I’ve taken private voice and vocal coaching every semester. I’ve also had Vocal Production for the Actor, Multicultural Theatre, Chekov, Play Analysis and other theatre courses. In the future I intend to take vocal pedagogy, musical theatre workshop, Shakespeare and Musical Theatre Literature. Additionally, students of all majors can audition for and participate in operas, plays and musicals on campus given there are no conflicts with OCU Dance performances. Send me a PM if you’d like more info on musical theatre opportunities at OCU, because I don’t want to hog up too much more bandwith with this post!

-Modern/Contemporary at OCU-
OCU is certainly known for producing dancers who are well rounded in tap, jazz and ballet. Modern dance classes are not offered at OCU, it is not the focus of the program. There definitely are opportunities for lyrical/contemporary dance though, The Spirit of Grace Liturgical Dancers is a group connected to OCU which uses lyrical dance, also The annual Student Choreography Show is another venue for lyrical/contemporary dance along with jazz, tap, ballet and theatre dance.

Oh, and the male/female audition ratio varies every audition season so it's hard to say

Hi!
I just got accepted to the OCU's Musical theatre program and I was just wondering if you knew how much dance musical theatre majors take? I looked at the curriculum and it just said Dance Techniques. I was kinda hoping for ballet, jazz, Tap, and maybe even a little Pointe. Just wondering... Also what is the dance floor at The Walker Dorm like?

Musical Theatre majors require 12 credit hours of dance to graduate. Different technique classes have different credit hours associated with the class, so one dance class could be worth 1, 2 or 3 credit hours. Depending on what classes you take will determine how many classes it will take to meet the 12 required credit hours for your degree. Since OCU has a large number os performing arts student who require dance classes to graduate, once non dance majors reach the number of required of dance credits for their degree program they may or may not be able to be enrolled in dance classes if their are other students who need to be enrolled to graduate. All students must participate in a leveling process to be placed in the correct level. Once leveled,you will be able to enroll in technique classes (tap, jazz and ballet) that are your appropriate level. Depending on the semester some of the dance electives (pointe, theater dance, etc) may be open to non dance majors. These elective classes may also have level requirements that must be met to be eligible to enroll in.

Hi I'm auditioning for Oklahoma City dance in february. I really love the program but I'm more of a city girl. I guess I'm wondering if I got in would I be happy living in Oklahoma? What's to do there?

Hi. My dd friend graduated from there. We are from the Philadelphia area. Although she loved the school and now is a Rockette she did not like Oklahoma City. She could not wait to get back to the east coast. Anytime she could come home she would. I hope this helps.

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